Energy is used in many different forms, such as heat, light, mechanical, electrical, chemical and nuclear energy. All the various renewable and nonrenewable resources can be utilized as secondary sources, electricity, hydrogen and heat, that can be used in everyday lives.These forms of energy power can be divided into two more groups; kinetic and potential(stored) energy.
Kinetic Energy: the work needed to accelerate a mass from rest to its current velocity(energy of motion).
Examples: roller coaster at the bottom of its path or hitting a cue ball with the cue stick in a game of pool
Potential Energy: energy that is stored in an object.
Examples: roller coaster at the top of a hill or stretching a rubber band.
Renewable Resources
(Energy Information Administration)
Energy that is harvested from renewable resources can be replaced relatively quickly. This energy can be converted into electricity or heat energy.
Biomass Energy
Biomass energy or bioenergy is energy that can be traced back to plants. When plants go through the process of photosynthesis, energy from the sun is stored as organic material. The materials that are gathered are harnessed and used as biomass energy. This would include wood from trees, crops, materials from forests, and even the gas from landfills. Burning wood harnesses biomass energy and is converted into heat. Burning is the only way to harvest biomass energy. For example, burning firewood utilizes biomass energy.
Geothermal Energy
Geothermal energy is the heat from the earth, and this can be taken from different locations around the globe. Geothermal energy can be harnessed from hot water streams or steam that is deep inside of the earth. A drill is used to dig down into the earth to access this heat. With different sizes of reservoirs around the world, they can power different sizes of utilities. Geothermal energy can be seen in the form of volcanoes, fumaroles, hot springs and geysers.
Solar Energy
(Energy Information Administration)
There are many ways to capture the abundant energy source from the sun. There are a lot of different methods to do this. This includes concentrating solar power systems, photovoltaic systems, solar hot water, and solar process heating and cooling. Sunlight can be converted to electricity by use of a Photovoltiac cell.
Wind Energy
Energy can be harvested from the movement of wind. Wind is created by the uneven temperature of the earth by the sun. Blades on an axle catch the wind and turn a turbine. The mechanical energy is generated and converted into electrical energy.
Hydro power
Mechanical Energy is harnessed through the movement of running water, and then this mechanical energy can be converted into electricity. The amount of energy that can be created depends on the flow of the water source. Rivers and dams can create a massive amount of energy. Pipes are created and the water is pushed through these pipes in the river or dam. The water then turns blades connected to a turbine and creates the mechanical energy needed for electricity.
Non-Renewable Resources
Non-renewable resources are energy sources that come from the ground or earth. These resources are called non-renewable because they cannot be replenished over a short period of time.
Oil/Petroleum
Oil formed from the remains of animals and plants living in water environments. Over many years, the remains are covered by rocks and mud. Heat and pressure from the earth help turn the remains into crude oil and gas deposits. In every barrel of crude oil, when refined, most of it is made into fuel, like heavy, jet, diesel and heating fuel and gasoline. Oil is most notably used for heating homes and fueling cars and vehicles by burning, but the petroleum products can also be used to make medicines and plastics.
Natural Gas
Natural gas formed from the remains of animals and plants piled up in thick layers. When these layers are exposed to heat and pressure they are converted to coal, oil and natural gas. The main component to natural gas is methane, which is composed of one car
(Energy Information Administration)
bon atom and four hydrogen atoms. Natural gas is used to heat about half the homes in the US. It also is an essential raw material in products such as; paint, plastic and dyes.
Coal
Coal is a combustible brown-black sedimentary rock made of mostly carbons and hydrocarbons. Hundreds of millions of years ago, dead plants collected at the bottoms of large swamps and then eventually covered in layers of dirt, rock and water. The heat and pressure turned the energy from the dead plants into the energy in coal. Most of the coal used in the United States is used for making electricity. Along with electricity coal is used in industry, making steel and as an export. To utilize the energy in coal, power plants burn the coal to create steam. The steam turns turbines, which generate electricity.
Nuclear Energy (Uranium)
(Energy Information Administration)
Nuclear energy is energy that comes from atoms. There are two ways to extract energy from these atoms. These ways are nuclear fission and nuclear fusion. In nuclear fission, larger atoms are broken up into smaller atoms, while releasing energy. This energy is collected and converted to electricity. In nuclear fusion, smaller atoms are combined to create larger atoms. This energy is also collected and converted to electricity.
Uses of Renewable and Nonrenewable Resources
Energy is used in many different forms, such as heat, light, mechanical, electrical, chemical and nuclear energy. All the various renewable and nonrenewable resources can be utilized as secondary sources, electricity, hydrogen and heat, that can be used in everyday lives.These forms of energy power can be divided into two more groups; kinetic and potential(stored) energy.
Kinetic Energy: the work needed to accelerate a mass from rest to its current velocity(energy of motion).
Examples: roller coaster at the bottom of its path or hitting a cue ball with the cue stick in a game of pool
Potential Energy: energy that is stored in an object.
Examples: roller coaster at the top of a hill or stretching a rubber band.
Renewable Resources
Energy that is harvested from renewable resources can be replaced relatively quickly. This energy can be converted into electricity or heat energy.
Biomass Energy
Biomass energy or bioenergy is energy that can be traced back to plants. When plants go through the process of photosynthesis, energy from the sun is stored as organic material. The materials that are gathered are harnessed and used as biomass energy. This would include wood from trees, crops, materials from forests, and even the gas from landfills. Burning wood harnesses biomass energy and is converted into heat. Burning is the only way to harvest biomass energy. For example, burning firewood utilizes biomass energy.Geothermal Energy
Geothermal energy is the heat from the earth, and this can be taken from different locations around the globe. Geothermal energy can be harnessed from hot water streams or steam that is deep inside of the earth. A drill is used to dig down into the earth to access this heat. With different sizes of reservoirs around the world, they can power different sizes of utilities. Geothermal energy can be seen in the form of volcanoes, fumaroles, hot springs and geysers.Solar Energy
Wind Energy
Energy can be harvested from the movement of wind. Wind is created by the uneven temperature of the earth by the sun. Blades on an axle catch the wind and turn a turbine. The mechanical energy is generated and converted into electrical energy.Hydro power
Mechanical Energy is harnessed through the movement of running water, and then this mechanical energy can be converted into electricity. The amount of energy that can be created depends on the flow of the water source. Rivers and dams can create a massive amount of energy. Pipes are created and the water is pushed through these pipes in the river or dam. The water then turns blades connected to a turbine and creates the mechanical energy needed for electricity.Non-Renewable Resources
Non-renewable resources are energy sources that come from the ground or earth. These resources are called non-renewable because they cannot be replenished over a short period of time.Oil/Petroleum
Oil formed from the remains of animals and plants living in water environments. Over many years, the remains are covered by rocks and mud. Heat and pressure from the earth help turn the remains into crude oil and gas deposits. In every barrel of crude oil, when refined, most of it is made into fuel, like heavy, jet, diesel and heating fuel and gasoline. Oil is most notably used for heating homes and fueling cars and vehicles by burning, but the petroleum products can also be used to make medicines and plastics.Natural Gas
Natural gas formed from the remains of animals and plants piled up in thick layers. When these layers are exposed to heat and pressure they are converted to coal, oil and natural gas. The main component to natural gas is methane, which is composed of one carCoal
Coal is a combustible brown-black sedimentary rock made of mostly carbons and hydrocarbons. Hundreds of millions of years ago, dead plants collected at the bottoms of large swamps and then eventually covered in layers of dirt, rock and water. The heat and pressure turned the energy from the dead plants into the energy in coal. Most of the coal used in the United States is used for making electricity. Along with electricity coal is used in industry, making steel and as an export. To utilize the energy in coal, power plants burn the coal to create steam. The steam turns turbines, which generate electricity.Nuclear Energy (Uranium)
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Sources:
EIA Energy Kids Page. Energy Information Administration. 11 May 2008
<http://www.eia.doe.gov/kids/index.html>.